The Lion King's Julie Taymor will make her Metropolitan Opera directing debut during the 2004-2005 season.

Julie Taymor

It was recently announced that the Tony Award-winning director will helm a production of Die Zauberflöte for the famed opera company. James Levine will conduct the opera, which opens Oct. 8. The cast will include Dorothea Röschmann as Pamina, L'ubica Vargicová as Queen of the Night, Matthew Polenzani as Tamino, Matthias Goerne as Papageno, Julien Robbins as the Speaker and Kwangchul Youn as Sarastro. Taymor will be doing double-duty for the opera, also serving as the production's costume designer. The remainder of the creative team comprises George Typsin as set designer and Donald Holder as lighting designer. Die Zauberflöte features a score by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Metropolitan Opera season will be highlighted by premieres of George Frideric Handel's Rodelinda and Franco Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac as well as new productions of Charles Gounod's Faust and the aforementioned Die Zauberflöte.

Julie Taymor received the 1998 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for her work on The Lion King; Taymor was the first woman in Tony Award history to receive the prize. She also nabbed the Tony for Best Costume Designer for her Lion King designs. Her other Broadway credits include Juan Darien and The Green Bird. Taymor made her film directorial debut with "Titus" in 1999; she also directed the acclaimed "Frida," based on the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo .

For more information about the Metropolitan Opera season, call (212) 362-6000.